By Rareview
Nigeria has recorded 1,086 confirmed cases of Lassa fever and 259 deaths across 24 states and 118 Local Government Areas in 2026, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) warning that continued surveillance and early response remain critical to containing the disease.
The latest figures are contained in the NCDC’s Lassa Fever Situation Report for epidemiological week 36, covering August 31 to September 6, 2026.
The report shows that 12 new confirmed cases were recorded during the week, a decline from the 18 cases reported in the preceding week.
The new infections were reported in Ondo, Edo and Kogi states.
But while the number of new weekly cases fell, the death toll increased by one, from 258 to 259, bringing the cumulative case fatality rate to 23.9 per cent.
The NCDC said the figure remained considerably higher than the 18.6 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
“The CFR remained higher than the 18.6 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025,” the agency said.
The year-on-year figures underline the seriousness of the situation. By the same epidemiological week in 2025, Nigeria had recorded 884 confirmed cases and 164 deaths across 21 states and 106 LGAs.
This means that, so far in 2026, confirmed infections are 202 higher and deaths 95 higher than at the comparable point last year.
For the NCDC, the geographical spread is another important feature of the outbreak.
Twenty-four states have now recorded at least one confirmed case, while five states — Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue — account for 87 per cent of all confirmed infections.
Ondo accounts for the largest share at 34 per cent, followed by Bauchi with 24 per cent, Taraba with 12 per cent, Edo with 11 per cent and Benue with six per cent.
The disease is also continuing to affect a relatively young segment of the population.
“The predominant age group affected by Lassa fever remained people aged between 21 and 30 years,” the NCDC said.
The agency, however, noted that infections have occurred across a much wider age range, underscoring the fact that Lassa fever is not restricted to a particular age group.
There was some positive news for health workers during the latest reporting period.
“No new healthcare worker was infected during epidemiological week 36,” the NCDC said, indicating that the number of affected health workers remained unchanged.
The protection of healthcare workers remains important because they can be exposed to the virus while caring for infected patients, particularly where infection-prevention and control measures are inadequate.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness that remains endemic in Nigeria. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents, while person-to-person transmission can occur through contact with the blood, urine, faeces or other bodily fluids of an infected person.
The NCDC has repeatedly emphasised the importance of early detection and treatment because delayed presentation can worsen outcomes.
For communities in affected states, the continuing spread means that ordinary precautions remain important. Keeping homes and surroundings clean, storing food in rodent-proof containers, avoiding contact with rodents and seeking medical attention when symptoms develop can reduce the risk of infection and improve the chances of timely treatment.
The agency said it would continue surveillance across affected states, monitoring confirmed cases, deaths and infections among healthcare workers as part of the national response.
“Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness that remains endemic in Nigeria, with cases reported across multiple states and increased surveillance required to support timely detection and response,” the NCDC said.
It added that the latest situation report was intended to provide public health authorities and other stakeholders with updated epidemiological information to guide monitoring and response.
The latest decline in weekly cases, from 18 to 12, is encouraging, but it does not yet amount to a reversal of the wider trend. The cumulative figures remain substantially above those recorded at the same point last year, while the case fatality rate is still elevated.
For ordinary Nigerians, however, the most important figure is not the national total but what happens when someone develops symptoms and needs care. A disease that can be detected and treated becomes far more dangerous when diagnosis is delayed or access to appropriate treatment is difficult.
That makes the NCDC’s continuing emphasis on surveillance, early detection and response more than a regulatory exercise. With 259 families already having lost relatives to Lassa fever this year, the real measure of progress will be whether fewer people become critically ill, fewer healthcare workers are exposed and fewer families have to endure preventable deaths.